This invention relates generally to nutritional supplements, and particularly to a method of administering a supplement to reduce muscle discomfort and fatigue in a mammal during exercise.
Athletes of all levels are familiar with the muscle burn that accompanies prolonged exertion. Various causes for this phenomenon have been proposed, most of which concern metabolism of lactic acid. Formation and removal of lactic acid has been shown to be central to digestive and metabolic processes. The xe2x80x9cGlucose Paradoxxe2x80x9d hypothesis of McGarry, which posits an indirect lactate-mediated metabolic pathway for glycogen production, and the xe2x80x9cLactate Shuttlexe2x80x9d hypothesis of Brooks, which holds that lactic acid formed by contracting fast glycolytic muscle fibers acts as an energy source for slow oxidative muscle fibers, are discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,107 to Brooks, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Brooks notes that accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles causes muscle pain and interferes with contraction processes, and is a suspected cause of muscle fatigue. He therefore proposes providing a xe2x80x9clactic acid-likexe2x80x9d material to athletes during exercise and recovery from exercise.
To this end Brooks administers lactic acid salts to provide beneficial nutritional supplementation during exercise and subsequent recovery. A 7% solution of 80% lactate polymer/20% sodium lactate in water was given to test subjects five minutes before exercise and at 20 minute intervals during exercise. Administration in this manner led to slightly reduced levels of perceived exertion as well as increased blood glucose, pH, and bicarbonate levels in test subjects over the course of exercise.
While these results are positive, it would be advantageous to administer a lactate compound in a manner to maximize positive results, reducing or eliminating exertion-related muscle discomfort, pain or burn.
A method of reducing exertion-related muscle discomfort in a mammal includes the steps of administering a dose of a lactic acid salt to the mammal effective to reduce exertion-related muscle discomfort a specified period of time before the beginning of exercise.